1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications. More particularly, the invention relates to optical switching networks.
2. Description of the Background Art
Traditional telecommunication networking technologies were designed for a world of moderate traffic growth with relatively stable and predictable traffic patterns. Such systems were simply not designed to handle the explosive growth in bandwidth demand coupled with the dynamic nature of traffic patterns created by emerging broadband, Internet, and wireless applications. As telecommunication service providers discovered, efforts to scale networks through brute force application of legacy technologies have resulted in escalating capital and operating costs that outpace revenue growth.
Such a dramatic shift in the environment requires a fundamental shift in network architectures in order to realize the full potential of modern applications. Service providers are now demanding more intelligent optical switching networks with unconstrained scalability, agility, and efficiency essential for sustained success in an increasingly challenging environment.
However, because intelligent optical switching networks automatically re-route connections within the network, the actual physical routes being utilized by the logical connections becomes less transparent from the point-of-view of the telecommunication carriers and network operators. This obscuring of the physical routes makes it more difficult to provide functionalities, such as those related to service level management and fault management.